Local NY Organizers Pack Vehicles With Over $15K In Mutual Aid For North Carolina Victims Of Hurricane Helene

Local NY organizers to pack vehicles with over $15,000 in mutual aid destined for North Carolina, with message “Fund disaster recovery, not genocide”  

Organizers and activists from cities across the U.S. call for arms embargo on Israel to help fund Hurricane Helene relief efforts

Editor’s note: Staten Islander News previously covered relief efforts undertaken by local politicians including BP Fossella, as well as the heroic Fox News reporter who rescued a woman from her car during the Hurricane.  

NEW YORK — On Friday, October 25th, New York-based community activists and organizers loaded vehicles in Brooklyn with resources for communities impacted by Hurricane Helene throughout Western North Carolina.

Receiving more than $15,000 in donations from fellow New Yorkers, the vital mutual aid includes heaters, generators, baby formula, and warm clothing for children and adults alike as families face freezing temperatures in the Appalachia region.

The truck from NY is one of several departing from cities including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Richmond, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Durham, with the message: ‘Fund Recovery, Not Genocide – Solidarity with Appalachia and Palestine.’

Organizers leading the mutual aid collection in New York City have emphasized the connection between climate disasters such as Hurricane Helene, and the U.S. funding of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza. During the same week as Hurricane Helene, the U.S. government sent $8.7 billion in weapons to Israel. Over the past year alone, the U.S. has sent nearly $18 billion total to Israel to fund its attacks on Gaza – a sum equivalent to more than half of the nationwide 2024 budget for FEMA. The cost to restore and strengthen all 3,459 dams across North Carolina is $5.97 billion.

Hurricane Helene has claimed the lives of more than 250 people, including at least 120 killed in North Carolina. The storm is expected to be one of the most expensive storms in history, with total damages potentially reaching $160 billion, including $53 billion in damages and recovery in North Carolina alone.

The National Priorities Project found that, in 2023, the average U.S. taxpayer contributed $5,109.93 for militarism – but only $119.33 for disaster relief. Mutual aid efforts have been a critical lifeline for communities affected by Hurricane Helene in the absence of a fully funded disaster relief effort by the U.S. government.

Jewish Voice for Peace Hurricane Helene graphic. Image Credit – JVP

Present were Local community organizers, including members of About Face: Veterans Against the War, Jewish Voice for Peace, and Desis Rising Up & Moving (DRUM).

Banner Image:  Jewish Voice for Peace Hurricane Helene graphic. Image Credit – JVP

Craig Phelps